The reason for the crew's subdued demeanor becomes clear about half an hour into the journey. One of the crewmen is hauling on a shroud when his hands slip. The line flies free, and for a moment the sail luffs, causing the ship to briefly lose headway.
The Captain is there in three strides. He pulls a club from his belt and, in a single smooth motion, smashes it across the man's face. You hear an audible crunch and see a tooth go flying through the air. The crewman collapses to the deck. The Captain looks at him for a moment, then pulls back his leg and delivers a single sharp kick with his booted foot to the man's unprotected abdomen.
Two other crewmen promptly converge on the fallen man, pick him up, and carry him away. A third grabs a bucket and cleans the spattered blood off the deck. Their movements are practiced: obviously they have done this before.
The Captain's expression never changes. He slips the club back into his belt and strolls back to his former position.
(Later that morning, you see the same crewman up and about. The side of his face is one huge bruise, one eye is swollen shut, and he is limping slightly, but he is able to move around and carry out his duties. Strange: it looked like those blows should have put him out of action for several days at least.)
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
Judge should I attempt to garner some good will w the men? It would cost me little to heal him, and we could use it to our advantage. You can let the captain know you are keeping his men on the job.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
Two coaches are here, come to take you to meet your ship. Unless you have any final questions or farewells... you're off!
I won't hold the party up but I wanted to add some scrolls and money to the iron fund I was just trying to determine a few things on the discussion thread for like a week now. Lol. Please, onward and seaward.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Guys, hi, I have asked this on the discussion thread three times and it seems to be a little ignored. Before we entered the tests we each had a sum of money, some from the prison and then given to us prior to the tests to purchase equipment. What was that amount? 300+ ? I had it on my iPhone but can not pull it up.
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
M DEAD!! KILLED BY EVIL EVIL DMDM!! Rogue1/Barb (Feral)1 temp hp 14/17 and 9 con (HP 24/25+4 when Raging; AC21/17/15(-2 Raging) ; CMD 16 (18 Rage) Fort +4(6); Ref +8; Will +1( 3); Init +6; Perception +5/6 for Traps; Darkvision
don't know then I recall 800. Gonna have to do a search then And since I had to borrow about 120 from dren for my hat that makes sense
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Douglas Muir 406 wrote:
(Later that morning, you see the same crewman up and about. The side of his face is one huge bruise, one eye is swollen shut, and he is limping slightly, but he is able to move around and carry out his duties. Strange: it looked like those blows should have put him out of action for several days at least.)
As soon as they ready to depart the voices go silent. They are not heard from again...
Once on the ship, We should keep watch on the captain and the crew. I prefer the night, I will take part of the night watch.
Jax, do you wish to share it with me? knowing he has similar night senses.
Dren will take some time to learn the ship's layout and the stores. He will also commit to memory various members of the crew...in case he needs to mimic them later.
Who is going to carry Bref's head? Most likely someone with a decent ranged attack who is not likely to be engaged in melee combat. Either the judge, myself or Zimu seems to make the most sense. Maybe Xenfal as well?
This is Dren's alter ego in the goodly world...
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
-
Ok I found this after I did a search for Pilkington, took me over 20 minutes.
In post 1,853, it was difficult because I did not know if DM mentioned it in the game or discussion thread.
Bref wrote:
DMDM can we keep left over money? from the original 300, or does it have to be spent?
It was 300 gp each. See told you I have good memory. I just need confirmation from DM. How much did we get from the prison prior to that? That's the total we had to spend.
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
The tiefling turned human scribe smiles brightly at Dren. "Why, my friend, I'd be glad to keep an eye up and about with you at night! Although we had best keep out of sight of our dear captain may send us belowdecks with fierce floggings."
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Cуровую will make observations of the crew without being obvious about it.
Cуровую is looking for patterns of behavior, others in command, like the first or second mate, possible allies or targets, other points of interest or possible danger. Perhaps its already obvious, but what is the captain's possible weakness, besides greed and cruelty.
Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
She will feign being the Edmin's wife if asked, assuming Edmin is fine with that cover story.
To Xenfal: Heal him if you wish, but more important is learning how he recovered so fast. Assuredly there is a healer of some type on this ship. Whether that healer is an agent of Mitra is what we must learn.
Looking to the newest member of the Ninth: But remember, we are here to see that our mission is accomplished. We must remain on good terms with the captain until we have delivered our supplies. The we can have our fun.
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
How about some Sense Motives re the crew, would they remain loyal to the Captain if he were to fall? Or would they parley (I assume this would take a few hours of observation)
Female Aasimar Wizard 6 (HP 53/53; AC 18/18/15; CMD 16 Fort +5; Ref +7 Will +8; Init +3; Perception +11; Darkvision 60 ft)
Linguistics for Nordspik 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
If I knew there was 'Nordspik' in the beginning of the game Cуровую would have taken it because that would definitely be keeping with her Witch of the North theme.
I may not have strategy, but I am a servant of style.
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
Xenfal approaches the wounded sailor when he has a chance.
Well met sir. I am Xenfal, and you are?
He places his hand on his shoulder and as he does Casts CLW1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
We can keep that between us. Though from the looks of things you were quite quickly on the mend there. Join me for some wine?
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
yes. I assumed it was when he was off duty. Thank you for clearing that up!
Let's start with Zimu's excellent Perception roll.
The Frosthamar is a clinker-built cog with a single deck. Belowdecks is cramped and dark; this space is jam-packed with crates of Cardinal Thorn's weapons. The ship is carrying about twenty tons of weapons, which puts it close to maximum capacity, so it's a bit low in the water.
The ship, it turns out, has a crew of twelve -- and one more. There are two officers:
Captain Kargeld Odenkirk
First Mate Yngvi "The Louse"
Captain Kargeld is universally feared and respected; the sailors view him with a combination of terror and awe. First Mate Yngvi is universally loathed; he is nearly as cruel as the Captain, but without the Captain's grim even-handedness. Then, there are nine sailors:
Erik Halt-Speech
Haakon the Red
Bald Sven
Stupid Sven
Sverker Clubfoot
Old Olaf
Swine-Olaf
Deaf Olaf
Yuri
The twelfth crewmember is not obvious at once. You might not have been aware of him for days, if not for Zimu's cautious exploration below. He almost stays in his bunk -- it's more like a lair, really; a dark, smelly niche full of filthy old blankets and greasy, nameless odds and ends. At first Zimu thinks she's found some sort of animal. In the dim light, there's just a mass of rags and hair with two wild-looking eyes peering back at her.
Whoever it is, he (?) has no interest in conversation; Zimu's tentative greeting gets only a hiss of alarm. A scrawny arm shoots out of the rags and makes a warding gesture: away!
Zimu's keen eyes notice that a chain goes from the pile of rags to a nearby crate. The crate is about three feet by two by two. It has been modified with airholes and an eyeslit; the front side of it has hinges and is held shut by a couple of crude but sturdy-looking latches.
The chain goes into the crate through the eyeslit. There's something alive in there, presumably at the other end of the chain: Zimu notices that the crate trembles slightly as whatever is inside shifts its weight.
Unfortunately, the crate is right next to pile-of-rags person, and closer examination will probably upset him (or her, or it -- you can't really tell).
Stupid Sven is grateful for the heal, but refuses the offer of wine. The sailors, you soon notice, are not interested in having anything but the most perfunctory and brief conversation with you when either the Captain or First Mate Yngvi are around -- and one of those two is pretty much always around.
Don't forget those seasickness rolls.
Otherwise, your first day aboard the Frosthamar passes uneventfully. Eventually, that evening...
Dren only:
Dren's sleep cycle is as odd as everything else about him, and he is up much of the night. Still, eventually, he sleeps. He sleeps with the strange green dagger folded in his hands, like a child's beloved toy. And when he sleeps, he dreams. And when he wakes, he knows what he must do. The voices have never been so clear before!
He must use the dagger to remove the head of an intelligent creature -- either living, or very freshly killed.
Once he has had a chance to speak with Cy, the Judge carefully watches the interactions amongst the crew attempting to discern whether there are any who like, or more importantly dislike, one another. Also, are there any who seem to be close to the captain or first mate, or at least close enough to act as snitches.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 <-- oh well, it was a good idea, maybe I got something
A few days of observation show that there are definitely differences in personality and outlook among the crew. Haakon the Red struggles to control his temper; Stupid Sven really isn't all that bright. Old Olaf knows more than anyone about knots and weather, while Yuri is young, raw and clumsy. But they're all united in fear of Captain Odenkirk and dislike of First Mate Yngvi.
The mystery of the thing in the crate is solved on your third day out, when the ship is becalmed for several hours. You can see the wind blowing little riffles on the sea a couple of miles away, but around the ship it's absolutely still.
After an hour of adjusting the sails in a futile attempt to catch a nonexistent breeze, Captain Odenkirk orders the sweeps set up. These are four long oars, each manned by two crew members. Rowing is painfully slow, though -- it's an emergency measure, for just this sort of situation. After a few minutes it's clear that it will take at least a couple of hours of rowing to get out of the calm.
After a few moments, two bizarre figures emerge from belowdecks. One is a very dirty, hairy, scrawny old man dressed in greasy rags. He is hunched over so far that his back is nearly horizontal. In one hand, he carries a large leather sack, which drags along the deck beside him. In the other, he holds a chain.
The chain is affixed to a collar around the neck of the second figure: a halfling. He is a bit over three feet tall, with curly brown hair. He is wearing only a worn pair of trousers. He does not look well at all: he is emaciated and filthy, walks with a limp, and has an ugly, half-healed wound on one side of his head: it looks like someone cut one of his ears off with a blunt knife.
The old man reaches into his leather bag and pulls out what looks like a human thigh bone. He pokes the halfling sharply with it. The halfling shudders, then visibly gathers his strength. He begins to sing.
Despite his miserable condition, the halfling's voice is astonishingly sweet. His song seems to reach deep down into your spirit. It makes you want to dance for hours, or run for miles.
The sailors obviously feel it too; they pull at the sweeps with renewed strength. The only exception is Deaf Olaf. He is relieved from duty. He stands at the mainmast with a crossbow in his hand, trained on the halfling.
After an hour, a faint breeze passes over the yardarm: the ship has passed out of the calm spot. The crew does not cheer, quite, but there is an audible sound of relief and appreciation.
Deaf Olaf puts away the crossbow. Then the old man suddenly yanks hard on the chain, pulling the halfling to the deck. Then he, the Captain, and Deaf Olaf converge on the halfling. The three of them deliver a swift, brutal beating -- the old man with a length of bone, the other two with their boots. Then the old man and Deaf Olaf carry the halfling's body back belowdecks.
Blood drops off the halfling as they go, leaving a trail behind on the deck. The Captain bends down and dips his fingers in the largest puddle. He then makes a flicking gesture over the side of the boat. A few drops of blood fly away from his hand. He then turns to the nearest crewman and barks something in Norspik. The crewman rushes to get a bucket and begins scrubbing the blood off the deck.
As the Captain strolls away, you notice he has a strange, unfamiliar expression. It doesn't last more than a few moments, but yes: Captain Odenkirk's face wears just the faintest hint of a smile.
The Judge watches the strange old man and the halfling.
Strange, a prisoned bard with a disheveled old keeper? Very odd. This will require some investigation. It is also something that must be watched carefully to determine to whom exactly these two pledge their allegiance.
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
HMMM being a Bard does not seem to be good for ones health around here...
Xenfal thinks after hearing what Zargo did to the Bard and now this.
to the Judge/ Judge something is very strange here...
DM:
Do I recognize the way he is chained...ie does that give any clues to what is going on? ie maybe that specific restarint is popular amongst slavers in...
HP 169/169; AC:37/21/29; Saves: +22/+23/+20; Init +10; Per +28(See Invisibility), CMD 42
Misc:
Effects: Resist Cold 30, Fly 30', Telepathic Bond
Jax walks over to Xenfal and the Judge, his brow furrowed. His words are whispered, barely audible. He only speaks when none of the crew is near. "Well that about confirms Irin's readings, if we had doubt she was telling us the truth. The Cruel Master and his captive of sweet words. We should perhaps were additional disguise in front of the singer. I would like to search the ship for something we could use to stuff our ears with as well. Irin's reading said the bard could help us against the Master, maybe sway the ship's crew as well..but that freeing him would be dangerous."
"Xenfal, you are such a charming fellow..perhaps you could try to get some information from some of the crew? I would like to know what kind of tales they tell of their captain--tales of his strength at sea, perhaps."
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
Xen seeks a time when the men are a bit more relaxed. At meal, perhaps.
He places down a bottle of wine. Come men, share your tales! Plunder, infamy, loot!
Hm. The crewmen are mostly shy -- except for Yngvi, the slimy first mate. He's willing to drink your wine, and to talk. Of course, he's going to try to pump you for information too...
Let's run this as a contest of Bluff and Sense Motive. He rolls Bluff 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 and Sense Motive 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19. What've you got?
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
Edmin Al'Roth wrote:
"Use it wisely, Champion of Asmodeus. The Dark Father gives very few second chances."
Sir Edmin kneels as he takes the axe into his arms a slow smile creeping across his face as he looks over his improved weapon. "Yes my master."
M DEAD KILLED BY DMDM Lore Warden 2/Arcane Duelist 3
Stats:
HP 4/45; AC 20(25 w def/CE)/16(21)/14; CMD 19; Init +5; Perception +4; Fort +7 (8 vs Poison), Ref +9, Will +3; Fire Res 1; BP 10/12; Spells Lvl 1 3/4 Initiative +5
@ DM did Xenfal recognize the magic. Was it similiar but different to his inspire courage?
